Advise Needed... South East Asia how to 'lose' a vehicle...
 

Hi,

I'm planning a overland form london to south east asia, but am having trouble working out how do deal with my vehicle at the end of it.

I know this is a bike forum but it is the best for this sort of thing, I've been browsing the site for weeks.

The problem is I cant afford to drive through China twice, and I cant afford to ship the vehicle back to the UK (I just got a quote that is almost twice the price of the vehicle before i drive it half way round the world).

I looked at selling it there and flying back, but the import tax, regulations etc.. of Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand all seem to make this impossible.. I could give it away, but then wouldn't i just have to pay the import anyway or forfeit my carnet deposit...

So are there any experienced ovelanders who have any ideas?

Much appreciated!

Losing the car.
 

I take it that it is a car you are trying to lose. The only thing I can tell you is that if you enter Thailand from Laos at the Hue Xai Chiang Khong border crossing it use to be that immigration was by the ferry terminal and customs was down the road about a kilometer. It was common to have your passport stamped and then be asked to go to the customs office ( on your own with no escort or phone call to the customs office). At the customs office your passport would be stamped re the vehicle that you had brought into Thailand. Now I am not sure if this is still the same and not sure re a car on English plates but the above applied to a motorbike on Cambodian plates.

Regards jimmy

Thanks Jimmy,

But i dont understand how this allows me to get rid of my vehicle?

Maybe I wasn't clear. I want to fly back from Singapore but don't know what to do with my van, ideally I would sell it, but the import tax and Singapore & Malaysian vehicle legislation wont let me.

I need some creative thinking for help here...

Thanks

Losing a vehicle
 

Ok Sorry I will explain, when you take a vehicle into a country that does not have a free movement of goods to trade ( as the EU does) They normally require a carnet. The carnet is an insurance payable if you fail to take the vehicle out of the country. Your passport will be marked that you have brought a vehicle into the country. You will not be allowed to leave that country without taking the vehicle with you, you had permission to temporarily import. If you leave without the authorities assume you have sold it, you will have to pay import duty on the estimated value of the vehicle. The duty varies country to country..in Thailand a luxury motorcycle attracts a duty in excess of a £1000. I believe if you have an accident and the vehicle is written of you can get papers to support that ( ie you have not sold the vehicle its been scrapped). In short if you enter a country and your passport records you have impoorted a vewhicle and on leaving the country you do not take that vehicle with you...you will be liable for import tax. If the van has little value...and its not recdorded on your passport ...selling it for parts may offer a way to leave it and recoup some money..There was a huge trade in importing parts from Japan for motorcycles ( they were complete bikes dissasembled. These were then assembled and ridden but were unregistered as registration required paying import tax on a motorbike. Parts did not attract the same level of tax.many of the pickups you see in Thailnad are made in Thailand, these attract a lower level of tax. Hope this helps.

Regards Jimmy

Can't you find someone to drive it back for you?

If I had the time, I'd be willing to drive it back because like yourself I could never afford to drive it there and back again.

When do you think you'll finish your trip?

Can you even enter China with a foreign vehicle?

China, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand don't normally use the carnet. (Some people had theirs stamped anyway, but that's a different story.) None of them stamp anything about your car into your passport, so leaving without the vehicle is not a problem. Been there, done that.

So, you could try to enter Thailand as suggested, meaning you won't have a temp. import permit. You could then try to sell the car (for parts, maybe, if it's a model common enough there).

You can also legally leave the car with customs, i.e. donating it to them as a write-off. Even with a carnet this should be possible, as long as they stamp it out.

You can also drive into Malaysia without any paperwork, using one of the smaller border crossings. (Done that.) You could then either sell it for parts or abandon it.

Better still, there are lots of Burmese refugees eeking out a living in Thailand. Leave it with them. They even recycled my old helmet that I left by a rubbish bin.

Yes, China can be done, if you are prepared to spend the money and take the guide with you. Expect two months lead time for a tour co. to organise it.

Cheers,
Peter.

Hmmmn almost out of ideas apart from maybe one - sell it to a NGO/Charity/Embassy? They shouldn't pay import tax on vehicles, so perhaps you could therefore sell it to them tax free? Clutching at straws but maybe of some help?

could you not just break it for spares then claim it was stolen or is it just the scouser in me coming to the surface.
steve